"Why do you want to arrest me? Do you know who I am?" Lucas kept repeating these questions, with a lot of pride in his eyes, as the cops came closer to him and they were not fazed by his arrogant voice or overconfident repetition of questions.
"You're under arrest for defamation of character and domestic violence. You will have to come with us to the station." One of the cops said, with indifference in his tone and expression.
"Domestic violence? Defamation of character? Can you please explain yourself?" Lucas's voice came out louder with every question he asked, and there was fear and surprise in Evelyn and Rania's faces.
"Coming with us to the station will definitely answer all your questions, sir." The other cops said, with the same kind of indifference in his superior's tone.
This was going to be the first time Lucas would visit the station. And only one person comes to mind as the initiator of these accusations. "Lizzy! Lizzy! Did she put you all to this?" He asked again, shouting at them this time.
"Mr. Jenkins, you are wasting our time, and we wouldn't want to drag you out." The superior cops said, impatience added to his tone. "Please, follow us now."
"Mum, don't worry. I'll be okay." Softness overpowered the anger he felt when he talked to Evelyn. He always had a soft spot for his family, and nothing would separate him from them.
"I have to leave now. Rania, please take care of her. I am coming soon." He said, and that statement produced a smirk on the junior cop's face.
"Kindly move!" They were already running out of patience, and just then, for the first time in probably a long time, Lucas was scared.
If Lizzy was the one behind all of these, she wasn't the gullible person he knew her to be, so it would be so difficult to convince her to let him go. It's more like a tit-for-tat game they're doing and it looks as if Lizzy is at the top of her game.
He kept fuming as he entered the car and they zoomed off to their destination.
Lizzy and her family were in a festive mood when they heard the news about Lucas's arrest. "The media guys are so hungry for news. Why is everyone hungry for this kind of news?" She asked excitingly.
"They consider this news juicy. A while Mr. Jenkins arrested? Now that's some news to munch on every time." Elena said, excited that her daughter is happy. She still believes she deserves all the happiness in the world despite everything she has been through, and she has vowed to do anything to make her happy.
Marcus saw his two angels dancing in their beautiful living room and he felt fulfilled. "Can you two come and eat now?" He asked softly, pointing at the direction of the dinning table that has been garnished with all sorts of food and garnishing. They followed his pointed hand, taking in the beautiful gaze.
Lizzy had something to complete before having anything to eat though. She needed to confront Lucas in prison, and she can't wait to see his face when he realizes that she was behind his arrest. Thinking about it made her smile sheepishly as she somehow finds purpose in inflicting pain on him.
"Dad, I'm sorry, I have an incomplete assignment to finish. The Jenkins assignment." She giggled as she saw the beautiful smile of her mother. She always loved to see her smile and even though they had just met, she meant the world to her, and she felt closer to her.
"Alright, you need to finish up your business. Take care of yourself and please be careful." He was so concerned because the Jenkins are not people to be played with. Although the Berlins have more influence, the Jenkins cannot be joked with because they have their own influence.
"Yes dad, I will. Take care." She went out of the house saying those words, making her mum somewhat happy and her dad more concerned.
Jumping into her newly bought car gift from her dad, she drove straight to the station to see the situation. She dropped and was welcomed by a whole lot of microphones from media TVs and shows, gathered together to hear her view about the arrest of Lucas.
"Ma'am, what do you have to say about the arrest?" One of them shouted, her face filled with sweat. "Nothing!" Lizzy said curtly as she made to find her way into the station.
"Are you the one behind his arrest?" Another man asked, with doubt, uncertainty and curiosity expressed in his face.
This time, she didn't give any answer and increased her pace until she felt safe enough in the station.
"Good afternoon, ma'am. How may we help you?" One of the policewomen welcomed her with an amazing smile that made Lizzy forget the reason she was there. They were being nice because they know her too well. Her name has greased the newspapers and never left the lips of reporters and media personalities.
"I want to see Lucas." She deliberately didn't call him Mr. Jenkins as a sort of subtle disrespect. She was taken to him in no time and she was pleased at the sight of him in handcuffs, looking dejected and irritated by everyone around him.
"Hello Lucas." A smirk came as she said mockingly. "I trust your day has been going well." He immediately ran to the cell gate, hitting it hard. "You! You're behind this, right?" His teeth was grinding together as he spoke, and Lizzy could see nothing but frustration in his eyes.
"I can see that pride still has a better version of you. I see you haven't learnt enough to be humble." The same smirk still in her face. "When you stay here for more than three days, you'll learn not to entertain arrogance."
"You this rat! I will deal with you, believe me! When I get out of this mess, I will show you why my last name is Jenkins.
She answered with a laugh which triggered Lucas. Where did she get this confidence from? Je kept asking himself as he observed her throw her head to the back in laughter, anger increasing as he saw how she found pleasure doing this to him.
"I didn't see you as such an idiot until now." The laughter had subsided as she managed to say these words. "Do you have an idea when you will leave this place? Newsflash, it's not anytime soon."
"Lizzy." He softly called her name, and it reminded her of their initial moments together. Ahe didn't know how bad Lucas could be because he was a good guy to her when they were dating. He said nothing bad about her plus size and complimented her always. But when they got married, things turned around.
"Please, can we talk like reasonable people? I know I have wronged you." He said, and Lizzy could sense fear through his voice. This is the first time she could sense fear and it only got her very happy.
"Can we deliberate? Let's agree on something...."
"Agree on what?" She didn't know what else triggered her: his confidence while speaking or the fact that he thought they could resolve it easily.
"Do you think I didn't know that you're the one behind tarnishing my image on the Internet?"
"Lizzy, please, I was wrong. I have learnt my lessons."
"You think I don't know you're a snake? I've been with you enough to know that you're telling me lies right now."
"Please!" He said more softly again. Lizzy got angrier with his pleas, especially due to the fact that he didn't mean each word.
"You know what? You'll get released on one condition." His eyes got brighter at the sound of 'release'. "You will have to hold a press conference, telling everyone that I am innocent of all charges and you had a goal to defame me. That's all."
"What nonsense!" His smile slowly turned to rage. "Are you crazy? What will happen to my image?" I moved into what he does best when he's angry: asking questions upon questions.
"You're not ready yet. When you are, send me a message." She took her bag and turned around to leave.
"Please wait!" It was so good to hear Lucas say the word "please" countless times in a conversation. It gave Lizzy a sense of power and even more confidence to see him at his lowest.
"Are you ready?" She asked again, already showing that she has finalized her discussion and it was already time to leave.
"Okay, I will do that." He said, surrendering to her decision, and she felt nothing but absolute excitement boil in her intestines.
"But why did you say I was also involved in domestic violence? Was it just because of the little slaps I gave you?" He asked in the most disgusting tone she had ever heard from him, making her resentment rise like adrenaline.
"You've not answered my question. Are you ready or not?" She had to leave very soon to meet her parents, so he's really wasting her time.
"Okay, I will." She felt pain in his response, but didn't care.
"Alright, see you at the conference in three days." She took her bag and left without attending to the call of Lucas. Maybe he wasn't satisfied with being there for three more days, but it wasn't her business.
"Please, take care of Lucas until the day of the conference." She told the policemen, as there was no need to tell them about the conversation because they heard every bit of it.
Luckily for her, the reporters and journalists she met have gone their ways probably because no one replied to them on the kind of answer they needed.
She entered her car and as she was about to leave, she saw Scarlett going into the station, looking disturbed because of course, her lover is in the police station. Once again, Lizzy gloried in her achievement and more to come.
She kept thinking about the kind of pain she would inflict in Lucas and his family when she started her car and drove off. She was still in the reverie when her phone buzzed.
A message from a strange number. "Watch your back." Lizzie saw it as nothing, maybe a mistake from someone, so she continued driving and increased the Kanye West playing in the background. But another message came in again.
"I'm watching you." Another short message. Now, Lizzie was confused and concerned. What was happening? Who is this person? Now, her heart was beating as fast as a trap beat. She had to park to at least answer the message by asking who the person was.
"Who are you?" She talked out as she typed them on her keyboard as she sent and expected a reply. She paused the song as if the quick response she demanded depended on pausing it.
For more than twenty minutes there was no reply, and Lizzy was already exhausted from waiting, so all she wanted to do was to get back home, take a warm shower and a nap.
She quickly unlocked her phone when she heard the buzz, grateful she hadn't started her car yet. "Just be careful." Another reply in three words. She angrily started her car, cursing as she headed to the headway.
Whoever it is, let him suit himself, she said silently, increasing the volume of the groove she was enjoying and nodding to the flawless bars Kanye did.
Instead of a buzz, a call came through, and it was her mum. She was surprised because she texted Elena some minutes ago that she was already on her way. So why was she calling her?
"Hello." Her voice was shaking, indicating being extremely terrified. "Mum? What's wrong?" She had no choice but to get scared because of the way her mum sounded.
"Where are you?" She said, almost raising her voice right now, still perceiving fear. "I'm on the highway, 10 minutes away from home. What's wrong mum?" She asked again, not knowing what to expect and ultimately hoping she's fine.
"Please come home quickly. There's a problem. A..."
"Hello! Hello!" Did she just cut the call in the middle of a conversation? Lizzy felt terrified as she moved on to
the fastest speed home. First it was a threat message, now it was a fearful call from her mum. What exactly was happening?